File:Breeder and sportsman (1901) (19789487783).jpg

Title: Breeder and sportsman
Identifier: breedersportsma391901sanf (find matches)
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors:
Subjects: Horses
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : (s. n. )
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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*4 ®h£ gveebev ani* gftweteman LDeoembbe 21, 1801 Advice to Hog Raisers. Clayton C. Pervier, of Sheffield, Illinois, is both a ho°- breeder and feeder, breeding' solely for his own use. He knows as much about porcine nature as any living man, but frankly admits that he has vet much to learn. Always ready to give hog rais- ers the benefit of his experience, he does not assume to be an authority. Success is largely due, he says, to the selection of breeding sows. Every year m December, he selects from his drove fifteen ot the serine sows who have made the greatest gam dur- ing the season, keeping in mind at the same- time the type he wants for breeding purposes. He care- fully avoids all extremes in length and breadth, and never keeps his brood sows more than one season. In this respect his policy is diametrically opposed to that pursued by other breeders, who retain brood sows year after year; but Mr. Pervier says his plan has given him best results.. Having selected his brood sows, he separates and oives them plenty of range and grass, a combination Strengthening bone and making muscle. His brood sows are fed liberally on corn, milk, and slops and are never stinted. There is more danger in being too thin than too fat. Sows should weigh about 300 pounds at farrowing time, and he pays special attention to keeping the litters dry and warm. He prefers May pigs, as they weigh more at eight or nine months than those born m March or April, cold weather producing no growth. Mothers are fed lightly on corn for a few days after farrowing, and are then fed heartily and given good pasture, never beinD allowed to get emaciated during the sucking period Mr. Parvier deprecates the practise of feed- ing sour food to young pigs, and attributes much. " 'That's good enough for hogs,' he retorted, as the grain disappeared from sight. 'They 11 find it. "They had to find it or starve, but he found there was no' profit in that kind of feeding." _ Durino- the summer feeding is done in pasture, moving about over high ground. Mr. Pervier dis- regards the theory that new corn produces cholera, not having had a case from that cause m twenty years; but in the summer of 1898 he fed old com all summer, and lost two-thirds of his drove by cholera, afterwards discovering that they had needed more green feed and less corn. He has never repeated the mistake. But he feeds new corn liD-htlv at first, as it disorders the stomach and in- vites disease. Corn is fed but twice a day, to keep the appetite keen. Pure water he considers of the utmost importance, and prefers well or spring- water to flowing streams, which carry germs. The ho«- is addicted to the drinking habit, and many fail to make profitable gains on account of foul water. Stagnant water in yards or pastures is a constant source of danger. Cleanliness, warmth, and dryness in sleeping quarters is a Pervier precept. He compels them to sleep in small bunches, and permits no cold draughts. He prefers the ground for a floor, and so do the hogs; but frequent recoating with sand is advisable, and little bedding must be used, as hogs should never be allowed to sleep where they come out steaming and sweating. Bedding should be changed at least once a week. In summer hogs are kept out of the sheds and on pasture. Experience has convinced Mr. Pervier that_ it is most profitable to market as fast as the animals are ready, either in car or wagon loads, and he never holds those in prime condition for the others. He prefers not to sell all his hog's at one time, unless the market is very high. stock yards for the past twenty years are well aware of the great changes that have occurred in the general character of the animals brought into the market. Without exception the stock that have been the record breakers in height of quality, and have, consequently, returned the greatest profits to their owners, have been those that have had liberal sprinklings of pure-bred, registered stock. The farmer and ranger should select the pure-bred or high-grade animal because he is invariably the one with the least waste, and heaviest in those parts that bring the best prices. How to Clean a Carriage. Don't use ammonia. It cracks varnish and fades the colors both of painting and lining. A carriage should never, under any circumstances, be put away dirty. In washing a carriage, keep out of the sun, and have the lever end of the "setts" covered with leather. Use plenty of water, which apply, where practical, with a hose or syringe, taking care that the water is not driven into the body, to the injury of the lining. When forced water is not attainable, use for the body a large, soft sponge. This, when saturated, squeeze over the panels, and by the flow- down of the water the dirt â will soften and harm- lessly run off. Then finish with a soft" chamois leather and oil silk handkerchief. The same re- marks apply to the under works and wheels, except that, when the mud is well soaked, a soft mop, free from any hard substance in the head, may be used. Never use a "spoke brush," which, in conjunction with the grit from the road, acts like sandpaper on the varnish, scratching it, and, of course, effeetu-
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WINTER SCENES ON CALIFORNIA STOCK FARMS. fatality to it. Keeping- pigs in. good appetite is essential, and keeping corn constantly before them is injurious to digestion. Grass is the cheapest and best food to balance corn, and hogs should haVe plenty of it; but the bare pasture so common in the corn belt is little better than none. In the fall pumpkins are fed liberally, regulating the digestive system and promoting1 rapid growth of flesh. Mr. Pervier uses milk, clover, and other feeds, and considers the use of succulent food all through the winter necessary to success. Rye is good, but clover has given him the best results. Hogs on feed should make a gain of one pound each day. Mr. Pervier's books show that, since 1886, he has beaten this average. In twelve years he has - t< ;i'lily increased the gain from twenty and one- half to thirty-three pounds per month. Weights from 250 to 300 pounds have given him the most profit and been the best sellers. One bushel of corn should, he says, make ten pounds of pork; and if that much meat sells for the price of a bushel of corn, feeding- hogs will pay. At the Illinois experi- ment station, on grasp and corn, seven to sixteen pounds of gain have been made to the bushel; but ten pounds may be taken as the basis of gain. He advocates the liberal use of wood ashes for bone making-, large and strong development of bone being essential. Mr. Pervier says there is no cure for cholera, but much preventative. All disease can be resisted by clef<n water, food, and sleeping- quarters, and the ho% should be Uept as clean as any other animal. H^ keeps his feeding floors scrupulously clean, be- H Ing filth taken into the stomach retards digestion. neighbor throwing corn into the mud for <gs not long ago," he said, "and remonstrated him. This year Mr. Pervier has met with considerable success in growing forage crops for use during the wet season, when pastures were dry. Rape gave good results, standing the drought well, and green oats helped him out; but the hogs always preferred blue grass when they could get it. This is but a brief narrative of the Pervier method, distinctive features of which are the use only of young sows for breeding, marketing them after the first litter; cleanliness in feed, water, and quarters; attention to the comfort of the animal; and the liberal use of grass and clover, to balance the corn ration. Every word of it is worth the perusal and reflection of hog men, as it is the experience of a painstaking, intelligent, and, better than all, successful man. Market Demands High Quality. Because in the use of high-grade or pure-bred stock of the proper breeding, type, and form the breeder will secure the quality that has been in the course of actual development for the past century, with definite ideas in view toward fixed ends. Because it is a well-known fact that one can not afford either the time or money to bring up th e native to the standard of quality that the "high- grade markets demand, with any other means than by the liberal introduction of pure blood. Because, with the competition that is now exist- ing and will continue to exist, varying only as it increases in intensity, the farmer, ranger, and feeder can not afford to handle any k;nd of fatting stock that will not return to him the greatest profit in the shortest- possible space of time for the feed- ing stuffs used in fitting for market. The stock men who have been familiar with the ally removing all gloss. Never allow water to dry itself on the carriage, as it invariably leaves a stain. Be careful to grease the bearings of the fore car- riage so as to allow it to run freely. Shipping Poultry. There are a few general points in regard to ship- ping poultry that are applicable to all markets: shippers should see that the cc*yps are in good con- dition before using, so that they are not liable to come apart in transit, as they are roughly handled sometimes. The coops should also "be high enough to stand up in. Low coops should not be used, as it is not only cruel, but a great deal of poultry is lost every year by suffocation. In shipping hens and roosters, they should be kept separate. Nothing depreciates the value of a fine coop of hens so much as to have a number of old cocks jyith them. Ship- pers often wonder why they do not get the highest market price for their stock: in most cases this Is the reason. Good stock always commands a quick sale at best prices. Poultry should be shipped so as to arrive on the market from Tuesday to Friday. Receipts generally increase toward the end of the week, and there is enough carried-over stock on hand Saturday to supply the demand. Merchants, rather than carry stock over Sunday, will sell at a sacrifice, as the stock, when in coops, loses consid- erable in weight and shrinkage, and does not appear fresh and bright. Besides, Monday is usually a poor day to sell poultry. On a hot day drink Jackson's Napa Soda lemonade and be refreshed.

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